Age-qualified communities offer less work, more fun

Don't wait to move to an active adult community until you're too old to enjoy it.

That's the advice of Cassandra Rosenbach. She moved about six years ago, along with her husband Michael, to Edgewater—a community in Elgin for those age 55 and older. The couple had previously lived in a 3,000-square-foot house near the western suburb of St. Charles. Their kids were grown and had moved away. "We decided we wanted to downsize," says Cassandra.

The couple looked at several different active adult communities. They didn't want a two-story house, and the active adult communities had a variety of homes without stairs. They also wanted to be near their elderly mothers who at the time lived in St. Charles.

They preferred an age-qualified or age-restricted community. These are communities where residents must be age 55 or older, though 20 percent of residents in the community can be under age 55. So someone with a younger spouse can still live at the community.

"We wanted to live in an age-restricted community," says Cassandra. She loves kids and has 10 grandchildren. But she says the couple preferred to have a quiet neighborhood.

The Rosenbachs bought a 1,600-square-foot house at Edgewater in Elgin, one of four local developments by Del Webb with new homes for sale. Del Webb practically invented the idea of active adult communities with its original Sun City project that opened in 1960 in Arizona. Del Webb is now a division of the home builder giant PulteGroup, Inc.

Loving the life

"We love it here," says Cassandra. In her opinion, many people wait too long to move and then they're too old to enjoy the activities. Though she and her husband still work full time, they've made a lot of new friends at the community. They participate in activities when they can. The couple recently relaxed at the community swimming pool after work. "This is the best move we've ever made," says Cassandra.

Age-restricted communities are designed for those who are still independent. The projects have single family homes, and often attached townhomes too. There are lots of amenities. Many projects include a club house where activities are held, from card games to parties. Swimming pools and exercise facilities are usually included too.

Many age-restricted communities are situated in warm weather spots where older people have traditionally retired. But age-restricted projects can be found throughout the country. The Chicago-area has a number of age-restricted communities in the suburbs.

Deals to be had

Home sales at local age-restricted communities have picked up lately, experts say. Older homeowners are tired of waiting to move. Good deals are available on a new home. Low mortgage rates help too.

"The market has turned the corner," says Chris Naatz, vice president of sales and marketing at the Illinois division of home builder D. R. Horton, Inc., in Libertyville. The company has six active adult communities in the Chicago area under the Carillon brand name. Sales of new homes are still under way at three of the projects: Carillon at Cambridge Lakes in Pingree Grove; Carillon Club in Naperville; and Carillon at Stonegate in Aurora.

In general, the Carillon homes range in size from about 1,300 square feet to about 2,700 square feet. Prices start as low as about $120,000, depending on the location. In the last nine months, buyers are purchasing somewhat larger homes, according to Naatz. "I think people are a little more confident than they were a few years ago," he says.

Gayle Soucek and her husband Pete Rimsa bought a house at Carillon at Cambridge Lakes in Pingree Grove. They moved into their new house in June, along with Rimsa's 92-year-old mother. The house has two master suites. Like other home buyers, they were concerned about selling their long-time home. D.R. Horton, the developer, suggested a rent to buy program. The company leased the house from the couple and then rented it to a family that will eventually purchase it. "It's a fantastic option," says Soucek.

'College campus-like'

Like other age-restricted communities, the landscaping and snow removal at Cambridge Lakes is handled by the community. "We really wanted to get rid of the home maintenance," says Soucek.

The couple still works, a situation that's more common nowadays than it was when the first generation of age-restricted communities were introduced for retirees. Soucek has already met a lot of new people and she's busy. "I had the mistaken idea that an age-restricted community would be like an old folk's home," says Soucek. "Then I realized how active people here are."

Carole Drew helps plan special events and parties at Lago Vista, an active adult community by Hartz Homes in Lockport. Drew moved to the community about seven years ago after she retired from her position as an event planner for the Chicago-based Levy restaurant chain. She picked Lago Vista because it was close to where her children lived, often a deciding factor when older adults select a new home.

Residents can participate in a lot of activities, or none. It's up to them, says Drew. She belongs to the community's book club, and enjoys card tournaments, and outings to different restaurants. She recently helped plan a series of Tuesday evening concerts at the community pool. The fact that residents are about the same age is a big plus for Drew. She has a lot in common with them. It's easy to make friends. "Lago Vista is like a big family," she says.

Age-restricted communities are something like college campuses, according to Maria Wilhelm, vice president of sales at the Illinois Division of Del Webb. Residents are starting a new chapter in life and they like being around people with similar interests. "There's a real sense of community," says Wilhelm. Besides Edgewater in Elgin, Del Webb has age-restricted communities with new homes for sale at Sun City Huntley; Shorewood Glen in Shorewood; and Grand Dominion in Mundelein.

Sun City Huntley is the largest community. It will have more than 5,000 homes. The project opened in 1999 and has only 15 single family homes remaining for sale.

Most age-restricted communities have new homes ready for occupancy. More often, however, home buyers select a home design and then the house is built—a process that takes about four to six months. Residents usually pick out many of the finishes.

Soucek and her husband checked on their new house in Pingree Grove as it was being built. "We were there every weekend," she says. Before the couple moved in they knew more people in the active adult community than they had known after living 20 years in their old neighborhood.